


A Better Place

by Say_Anything



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora is an air force vet, All of them end up happy, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bow is best boy, Catra is also that AND a walking disaster, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Glimmer is a gay mess, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rated T for language and trauma, Slow Burn, but we shall seeeee, everyone shares a single braincell and they don't split it up evenly, hints of Catradora throughout but it's not end game so it's not tagged as such, rating subject to change to M for adult themes and situations, she deals with that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-23 16:54:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20343493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Say_Anything/pseuds/Say_Anything
Summary: After a six year contract, and a grueling deployment overseas, Air Force veteran Adora returns home and opens up a flower shop in the town of Bright Moon, hoping to find peace and happiness in the simplicity.But when she meets the tattoo artist who works next door, her entire world is turned upside down.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Entrapta voice: Hiiii  
Welcome to the tattoo parlor/flower shop AU that no one asked for but that I'm gonna write, god damn it.  
I was inspired by all the AU art that came out for Glimmadora week and a fully fledged multi chapter fic came to life in my mind.  
This is just the beginning, so I apologize for the short chapter. This fic will deal with some dark subject matter that I've laid out in the tags: PTSD, war trauma, abuse, some sexual content.  
For the sake of said tags, all of the characters have been aged up appropriately. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy! I've got a lot planned so strap in.

Adora was awake long before her alarm went off at six that morning.

Another nightmare.

It had woken her around one and she’d been unable to fall back asleep since.

It was Lonnie again, and Kyle too. Both of them meeting her gaze with wide, terrified eyes before they dissapeared in a swell of darkness. Squeezing her eyes shut, Adora raised her hands to her face, rubbing it until she saw little pricks of light behind her eyes.

She still had their pictures on her dresser. She had pictures of the entire squadron. _Her _squadron. She knew she should probably take them down. Seeing the faces of the ones who hadn’t made it every day triggered her, she knew that.

The ones that were still around, she didn’t talk to anymore and she wasn’t sure why. When they’d gotten home, they’d all been focused on reentering their old lives. But Adora didn’t have an old life to return to. For her, the shop, the city of Bright Moon, it was all a fresh start.

Maybe she should have done a better job of reaching out to her old squad mates. But as the time passed by, it became harder and harder to cross that bridge. They’d all settled across the country anyway. Maybe it was time to let go of the past all together.

It was over now anyway. Six years and her tour of duty had ended just a couple of months ago. When she’d returned to the States, she’d bought the shop with her military benefits. It wasn’t exactly what she’d seen in her future after the Air Force, but then again, she hadn’t really planned for anything after the Air Force.

Sighing, Adora rose from bed and headed for the shower, hoping the hot water and steam would clear her head. It wasn’t entirely successful in doing so, but she did feel a little less tense afterwards.

The kitchen was next. Toast, eggs and a cup of non fat yogurt. Plain to reduce unnecessary sugar content. It had been strange coming back home and learning how to cook for herself again. And she couldn’t seem to break free of the regimented portion control and balanced nutrients. Every breakfast was the same, every morning was the same. The routine made her feel comfortable. So did the shop. It was simple, it was pleasant, it gave her structure. And after the nights full of nightmares, simple days were what she needed.

It was nearly seven by the time she climbed into her beat up Sedan and headed for the shop. The Flower Patch. That’s what she’d called it. It sounded cute at the time, but every time she looked up at the sign now, it struck her as a little too on-the-nose. She could change it eventually, she supposed, but that would probably make Perfuma upset.

Perfuma.

Her only employee; the woman who’d burst into the shop the first day it was open and nearly begged for a job. Well, Adora hardly had it in her to turn down such an enthusiastic spirit. And she’d proven herself to be a good worker over the past two weeks. Always early, always diligent. She spoke to the flowers sometimes when she made the watering rounds, as if they could understand her and speak in return. It was kind of strange, but also kind of endearing. Perfuma was a gentle soul; into crystals (that she’d tried many, many times to explain to Adora to no avail) and shoes made of hemp, and four twenty—blaze it. Adora enjoyed her quiet company. Connecting with people after she’d gotten back hadn’t been easy. But it was hard not to get along with someone like Perfuma.

As Adora pulled into her parking space in front of the shop, she saw Perfuma locking her bike up on the bike rack. She looked up at the sound of Adora’s sputtering engine, pushing her long blonde hair out of her eyes and waving enthusiastically.

“Good morning!” she called as Adora stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut twice when it got caught on the seatbelt the first time.

Perfuma’s smile faltered as Adora came closer. “How are you feeling? You look a little pale.”

Electing not to inform Perfuma of her particularly vivid nightmare, Adora just smiled tightly and unlocked the front door. “I’m fine. It’s nothing serious. Probably just a little bug.”

“You should stay home and rest if you’re sick,” Perfuma insisted, even as she followed Adora inside and flipped the closed sign to open.

“Who would take care of the shop then?” Adora asked, turning on the overhead lights and reaching for the aprons they kept behind the front desk. She tossed one to Perfuma, who fumbled to catch it.

“I would!” Perfuma trilled, unfolding the bunched apron and tying it behind her back. “Any time you need extra help, please let me know.”

Adora chuckled and handed Perfuma the hose they kept connected to a sprinkler system in the back. “I’ll be fine, Perfuma. But, as always, I really appreciate your enthusiasm.”

Perfuma grinned and bounded away with the hose to make her rounds.

Adora watched her for a moment before heading into the office at the back of the shop and closing the door quietly behind her. Taking a seat at the desk, she propped her elbows up and rested her head in her hands, still struggling to erase the residual images of the nightmare from her mind.

Lonnie’s face, in particular, always got to her. She’d opened her mouth just before... To say what? Adora would never know, and it always made her feel sick trying to imagine what it could have been.

Shoving the memory aside, Adora reached for the stack of paperwork she’d left the night before. Running a business, even a small one like this, wasn’t easy, and it seemed like there was _always_ more paperwork to fill out.

The store was quiet for awhile as she worked, the only sound she could hear was that of Perfuma talking softly to the plants, her voice slightly muffled through the office door. Allowing herself to be swept away in the monotonous task of filing, Adora nearly jumped out of her chair when she heard the door bell chime.

Setting the paperwork aside, Adora stood, adjusted her apron, and made her way to the front desk just as Perfuma enthusiastically greeted their new customer.

“Welcome to The Flower Patch!” she said, clapping her hands together. “If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

The girl who had entered the shop gave Perfuma an odd look and a slightly confused smile, obviously a little startled by the enthusiastic early morning greeting. “Um, sure. Thanks.”

She looked around the shop curiously, her hazel eyes landing on Adora and when she offered a polite smile, Adora felt a strange fluttering in her stomach.

The girl was dressed eclectically to say the least. She wore a bright purple tank top that exposed the elaborate sleeve tattooed on her right arm and the moon and stars that ran along the left side of her midriff. Fingerless black gloves revealed the chipped purple paint on her fingernails and the matching skirt she wore covered her fishnet stockings that ended in—surprise—purple boots. What caught Adora’s attention the most was her short pink hair, it faded into a light purple at the ends and stood up in a thousand different directions like she’d just run her hands through it. Her ears were pierced more times than Adora could count, but…the look seemed to work all together and Adora found herself staring longer than was probably appropriate.

Luckily, the girl broke eye contact and began wandering around the store, examining various bouquets and arrangements every few feet. Perfuma had returned to her work, humming quietly to herself, but Adora kept sneaking glances at the girl as she took her place behind the front desk. After awhile the girl stopped in front of the aisle of lilies. She picked out a small white bouquet and made her way past Perfuma towards the front desk.

“Hi,” the girl said, smiling at Adora again. Her lips were bright, pink, and slightly glossy.

“Hi,” Adora’s response was choked and she wasn’t really sure why. “Is this going to be all for you?”

She gestured to the flowers and the girl looked down at them and then back up, her expression almost apathetic.

“I could buy more if you’d like,” she said, jerking her thumb back towards the rows of flowers.

“Oh. No! I was—No, I just meant—,” Adora stumbled over her words, tongue thick in her mouth.

The girl just beamed at her and chuckled. “I’m messing with you. Yes, that’s all.”

Swallowing her nerves, Adora nodded and scanned the bouquet. She wasn’t sure why talking to this girl was turning her into a bumbling idiot, but decided to chalk it up to reintegration….or something.

“I’m so glad you guys opened up,” the girl continued as Adora rang her up. “I work at the tattoo parlor next door and let me tell you, it was a huge pain having to drive all the way downtown to get these. You guys have nicer flowers anyway.”

“You work next door?”

The girl nodded. “Mhm. Bright Moon Ink.”

Adora had seen the sign next door, but never thought to step inside. She’d only ever gotten one tattoo; with her squad mates. It was hidden beneath her long sleeve on the inside of her left wrist. A pair of wings framing a small diamond. They all had it. But Adora decided not to bring it up. It wasn’t something she felt like explaining—or sharing—with a stranger.

“You like it?” she gestured to the girl’s sleeve, hoping to avoid the inevitable ‘do you have any tattoos’ question.

“I like tattoos, yeah,” she said, looking down at her arm. “And I like pissing off my mom, so…Win, win.”

“Your mom’s not a fan?” Adora asked, her mind flashing back to the night Catra had come back with one. The look on Ms. Weaver’s face had never left her.

“Not so much. She thinks they’re ‘_crass_’,” the girl put up air quotes. “But I think they’re art.”

“Are the flowers for her?” Adora tried for a joke. Lilies were good mediating flowers, right?

“No,” the girl’s shoulders lifted in a small shrug. “My dad.”

“He doesn’t like them either?”

“He’s dead.”

Adora felt like someone had drop kicked her stomach across the room. “O...Oh…I’m—I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—,”

The girl waved her off, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Hey, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. He died years ago. I just like to take these to his grave every now and then, y’know? He used to give lilies to my mom on their anniversary. So I like to think he’d appreciate the gesture.”

“Yeah,” was the only response Adora could think of as she placed the flowers in a bag, careful to avoid bending the petals.

“He was a marine,” the girl continued, unprompted, leaning forward now, her elbows propped on the counter. “Died during an artillery attack on his base.”

Adora looked up. “He was a marine?”

The girl nodded, her short pink hair bobbing with the movement.

“I served too,” Adora elaborated, her eyes trained on the girl’s bright hazel ones. “Air Force.”

The girl’s brows jumped up. “You did? No way.” She chuckled and dug around in her pocket for her wallet, fishing out a credit card and handing it to Adora. “What are the chances?”

Adora shrugged and pushed the card back, earning a look of confusion from the girl.

“These are on the house,” she explained. “I don’t take money from vets or, y’know…People in need of funeral arrangements.”

“It’s not a funeral,” the girl objected.

“Your dad died serving his country and you’re honoring his memory. It counts.” Adora smiled tightly, trying to ignore the sick feeling in her gut. This girl couldn’t be any older than her and she’d lost her father in the worst way Adora could imagine. Lonnie’s face came back, but she shoved it away as quickly as she could.

“My tour of duty just ended a few months ago,” Adora continued, attempting to avoid the memory.

“And you decided to open up a flower shop in a beatnik town like Bright Moon?”

Once more, Adora nodded and the girl smiled again, this time it was softer, maybe a little sympathetic. “I get that. Sounds a lot more peaceful than a war zone, huh?”

“That was the idea.”

“Do you like it?” she asked, finally picking up the flowers and tucking them under her arm.

“Flowers?”

The girl rolled her eyes and laughed. “This. The shop. Selling flowers to military brats for their dead dads.”

“I…I like it,” Adora replied, a little bewildered by the girl’s seeming nonchalance about her father.

The girl held out her free hand to Adora. “My name’s Glimmer, by the way. I usually tell people that before giving them my life’s story. I guess you just got lucky.”

A genuine chuckle bubbled out of Adora’s chest and she shook Glimmer’s hand. It was soft where she could feel it around the fingerless gloves and her grip was gentle. “Adora.”

“Nice to meet you, Adora.” Glimmer smiled and turned to leave, waving politely to Perfuma, who whipped around quickly as if she hadn’t been watching the entire interaction from afar.

The bell chimed as Glimmer opened the door but she stopped halfway through, turning around with a thoughtful look on her face. “You should stop by the shop some time. I can repay you properly for the free flowers.”

Adora gaped mutely as Glimmer winked at her and then disappeared through the door.

“What a nice neighbor,” Perfuma mused, glancing between the door and Adora, who still stood rigidly behind the desk. “Are…You alright?”

Shaking her head, Adora cleared her throat and turned back towards the office. “Yup. Yes. Paperwork to do. Watch the front for me, okay?”

“Yes, boss!” Perfuma agreed, saluting.

Adora winced and hurried away into the office, her hand still tingling with warmth.

* * *

“Is it that time again?” Mermista drawled as Glimmer pushed her way into the tattoo parlor, setting the lilies she’d bought in one of the many coffee mugs strewn across her work station.

Her coworker (but really actually just her lazy manager) sat sprawled in her own tattooing chair, scrolling through her phone and peering at Glimmer out of the corner of her eye somehow simultaneously. Glimmer nodded and stuck her tongue out.

Mermista just rolled her eyes. “You got here a lot sooner than I expected. I thought the flower shop was downtown.”

“There’s literally a new shop right next door. You didn’t notice?” Glimmer asked, hopping up onto the front desk and swinging her legs out.

Mermista picked a piece of non-existent lint off of her jacket. “Why would I? I don’t need flowers on a consistent basis. My dad’s still kicking.”

Glimmer flipped her off and glanced at the lilies. They really were beautiful…And so was the woman who had sold them to her.

“Day dreaming already?” Mermista teased as Glimmer fell silent. “We’ve been open for, like, twenty minutes. Save it for after your lunch break.”

“Shut up.” Glimmer hopped off the counter and headed for her work station, clearing off the extra coffee cups and prepping for the days clients.

Mermista watched her silently for a minute and then gave a dramatic sigh. “God, just spit it out already.”

“Spit what out?” Glimmer turned to face her with an armful of coffee cups.

“You like her.”

Glimmer felt her face begin to burn. “Like who?”

“The flower lady.”

“You said you didn’t even know the shop had opened!”

“I didn’t. But I’ve seen that blonde chick drive up and park in my fucking spot for the past two weeks. And you’ve practically got hearts for eyes right now, and you just came from the flower shop, and why else would she be parking in my spot unless she works there? It’s not that hard to put all this shit together, Glimmer. Plus, I happen to be really smart.” Mermista turned back to her phone when it buzzed, typed a quick response, and then looked up at Glimmer again. “So, do you like her?”

“What? No…No! I just met her today. What do you care anyway?”

Mermista rolled her eyes, watching as Glimmer headed for the sink station in the back. “Why are you being so defensive? I’m not gonna, like, tell her or anything. I just want to know so that I can tease you relentlessly.”

“I don’t make fun of you for dating Sea Hawk! And he’s a clown! He calls himself fucking Sea Hawk!” Glimmer argued, coming back into the lobby, hands planted on her hips.

“And he’s also your boss.”

“_You’re_ my boss. You’re just too lazy to actually run anything around here.”

“Touché,” Mermista shrugged and set her phone down, swinging her legs over the seat to face Glimmer fully. “Look, she’s cute, okay? And you’ve been single a _looong_ time. Actually, for as long as I’ve known you. And she’s fresh meat, doesn’t know about any of your baggage. It’s the perfect set up.”

“You’ve been reading too much fanfiction.”

“That’s a ridiculous statement. There’s no such thing.”

Glimmer pursed her lips and shrugged.

“Whatever. If you don’t wanna admit it, I’ll let you pine in silence,” Mermista sighed with an exaggerated toss of her dark hair.

“Alright, fine!” Glimmer nearly shouted. “I think she’s cute! Really cute…And she’s a vet.” 

“I thought she worked at the flower shop.”

“Vet_eran_, Mermista.” Glimmer glowered.

“Oh. Hot.”

“No!” Glimmer pressed her palms into her eyes. “No, it’s just…Dad. Like, she probably gets it, y’know? She’s probably lost people too.”

“Oh, so you’re going to bond over your shared trauma?” Mermista teased, picking up her phone again. “Wow, this fic writes itself.”

“God…Why do I even talk to you?”

“Did somebody say shared trauma?” An exuberant voice exclaimed.

Glimmer and Mermista both looked up to see Sea Hawk, or rather Jeoff, as was his given name—exiting the back office. Where he’d come up with the alias of Sea Hawk, Glimmer had no idea and she’d never cared enough to ask.

“Go back to your office, this is girl talk,” Mermista groaned as Sea Hawk wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed.

“I’m excellent at girl talk. What’s going on? Who’s sharing trauma?” Sea Hawk peered at Glimmer, and twirled the end of his mustache mischievously. “Does Glimmer have a crush?”

“You two are the worst!” Glimmer shouted, spinning around in her chair to hide her blush.

She was rescued from any further taunting when the door opened and her best friend, Bow, stepped inside.

“Hey, Bow!” Sea Hawk waved and then decided he wanted more and pulled Bow in for a hug, clapping him loudly on the back. Glimmer was sure she was the only one who saw the furious blush creep onto Bow’s cheeks. “What brings you in?”

“Finally gonna bite the bullet and get a tattoo?” Mermista asked, her eyes still on her phone screen.

“I’m actually just here to see, Glimmer, guys,” Bow dodged, leaving the hug with Sea Hawk but proceeding to initiate their secret hand shake.

“Thank god!” Glimmer groaned. “Save me from these idiots.”

“Hey, you work for these idiots,” Mermista shot back, although the threat was empty.

“Today’s the day, right?” Bow ignored their banter and moved up behind Glimmer’s chair, resting his hands on her shoulders. “I came to ask if you wanted company this time?”

“That’d be nice,” Glimmer said, tilting her head back to look at him. Bow smiled and pressed an exaggerated kiss to her forehead.

“Mwah! I’ll be there then. Meet you after work?”

“Sure.”

Bow began to make his way out, waving to the others, when Mermista called after him. “She’s got a lot to tell you about the girl next door!”

A roll of gauze flew through the air, smacking Mermista square in the face.

* * *

Perfuma clocked out for the day about an hour before closing, leaving Adora to her thoughts as she cleaned up for the evening. The store was oppressively quiet, almost eerily so, and Adora found herself thankful that Perfuma liked to work as much as she did.

As she stepped outside and locked up the shop, Adora glanced over at the tattoo parlor next door. It was still open, the neon sign shining brightly as the sun dipped below the horizon. The image of Glimmer popped into her mind and soon she was replaying their entire conversation as she drove home.

She’d been charming. Sweet. Cute. And her dad had been a marine. She probably understood it then…Or to some extent at least. Especially if she’d lost him.

Adora wasn’t sure how often she’d see Glimmer. After all, she’d gone two weeks without seeing her at all since the store opened, and they worked right next to each other. But…She wanted to. Maybe they could talk about her dad. Or life after him. How she dealt with it.

Maybe they could talk about more than that.

Adora pulled into her apartment complex not long after, climbing three flights of stairs to the top floor and making her way inside her tiny apartment. It was cheap, closer to the rattier neighborhoods of Bright Moon, but it gave her a roof over her head and a place to sleep, and that was enough for her.

She made herself a dinner of leftover chicken, veggies and rice and plopped down in front of her tiny television, throwing on some random show she’d found on Netflix earlier in the week. It didn’t consist of anything more than a tiny woman going around helping others organize their houses, but Adora found it extremely cathartic. Curling up underneath a blanket, she fluffed the couch cushions and leaned back, allowing her eyes to drift shut as the sound of the TV lulled her to sleep.

The last thing she thought of was a pair of hazel eyes and bright pink hair.

* * *

It was late by the time Glimmer got off work. Her last appointment had run a bit long, but she’d been so close to finishing the sleeve, she’d let it go a little overtime. For that, she’d received an extra large tip, and she wasn’t going to snub it.

Bow was leaning against the side of the building, scrolling through his Instagram feed while he waited. Closing the door behind her, neglecting to lock it as Mermista was still inside; Glimmer crept up on her friend, preparing to startle him.

He looked up at the last second however, and Glimmer drooped.

“Damn it, Bow. Why can’t I ever get you?”

“Because we share one brain cell,” Bow explained, slinging an arm around Glimmer and leading the way to his car. “And I can sense when it’s near.”

Glimmer scoffed and shoved him off, plopping into the passenger seat. Bow’s car was always immaculately clean, a sad comparison to her own, which was always full of old Monster cans and fast food containers. Bow always tried to clean it, but it somehow filled up again within days of his attempts. Glimmer chanced a glance out the window as they drove past the flower shop. It was dark, the ‘closed’ sign displayed.

Glimmer frowned; it must have closed awhile before the tattoo parlor. She hadn’t exactly been expecting to meet Adora after work, but maybe a friendly wave goodnight would have sufficed…

Bow caught her staring longingly out the window and cleared his throat. “Soooo…Wanna tell me what Mermista was talking about earlier?”

For a minute she considered blowing the subject off. She was tired of being teased. But this was Bow. He was her best friend. She’d known him forever and she told him everything. EVERYTHING. He’d never make fun of her the way Mermista did.

Biting her lip, Glimmer picked at her already chipped nail polish, her eyes now focused on the toes of her boots. “There’s this girl—,”

“The one who runs the flower shop?” Bow interrupted.

“Yes! How did you know?”

Bow shrugged. “Mermista said ‘the girl next door’ and just now you were staring at the shop like you were expecting the second coming of Jesus. I assumed.”

“Well…Yes,” Glimmer muttered, frustrated that she wasn’t as subtle as she wanted to be. “I met her today when I went over to buy these.” She hoisted the bouquet of lilies in her lap. “She’s really cute, Bow! Like…Adorable. That’s even her name.”

Bow cocked an eyebrow. “Her name is Adorable?”

“No, Adora.” Glimmer practically sighed and Bow snickered.

“Cute.”

“Exactly! And, Bow, get this…She’s a vet.”

“Oh?” Bow, unlike Mermista, seemed to understand right away. “She served?”

“Mhm, just like Dad.”

“Same branch?”

“Air Force.”

“Neat.” Bow was smiling softly as Glimmer began to relay the conversation she’d had with Adora that day, down to the last tiny detail.

“She wears this little poof in her hair that’s so weird? But it works on her. I think she’s trying to grow out her bangs or something though, because it’s a really…unique style. And her eyes are blue, but like, this grey blue that’s really intense and kinda steely. But there’s a lightness in them too. It’s a total oxymoron and I couldn’t stop staring, but I don’t think she noticed. She seemed kinda oblivious, even when I offered to give her a free tattoo. And—Oh god, Bow, what if she’s not gay? What if I’m pining over another straight girl? I can’t do it again. I can’t.”

Glimmer wailed and hid her face in her hands.

Bow chuckled. “Don’t worry, Glimmer. Even if she is a straight, we’ll turn her with our raw gay energy.”

“Bow! I’m serious!”

“Glimmer, breathe. She’s either straight or she’s like every other lesbian out there and can’t catch flirting to save her life. It’ll be fine, okay? We’ll feel it out. I’ll help you. Just relax and don’t push anything.” Bow kept his eyes on the road, but reached out to pat Glimmer’s head.

Slumping in her head, Glimmer crossed her arms over her chest and whimpered. “Okay…”

Bow took over the conversation after that, relaying the details of the latest show he’d been cast in. He told Glimmer the name a few times, but her attention kept drifting back to Adora. By the time they’d reached the graveyard, she knew next to nothing about the show Bow had just explained to her.

“I’ll get you tickets if you want to come,” he finished, shutting off the car.

“Of course I want to come. I’ve been to every show you’ve ever been in,” Glimmer objected.

Bow looked surprised. “Well, yeah, but like I said, it’s really graphic and heavy. I don’t want you to feel obligated to see it just because it’s me.”

Oh. She must have missed that part when she’d been thinking about how she could see the definition of Adora’s arms through her sleeves…

“Right, well. I think I can handle it.”

Bow nodded and they stepped out of the car, making their way through the graveyard along the well worn trail that led to her dad’s headstone.

Bow stood back as Glimmer approached, laying her hand on the headstone, as if she were touching _him_. Another year without him. It always hit hardest on this day. The anniversary of the airstrike. Glimmer didn’t like to imagine what it must have been like for him, but she couldn’t help but think about it when standing before his grave. She wondered if his last thoughts were of her and her mother. Or if he was too scared to think of anything but death.

Kneeling down, Glimmer placed the lilies against the gravestone and closed her eyes.

“Miss you, Dad. And love you. Always.” She glanced over her shoulder at Bow, who was still maintaining a respectful distance. Turning back to the headstone, she looked at the engraving of Micah’s name as if it were his face. “I’ve told everyone today, so I might as well tell you. I met someone. A girl. She served, like you. I think you’d like her. She seems like she’d be a nice one to bring home to you and mom. Respectful. Y’know? Okay, I’m getting way ahead of myself. She might not even be gay….” Glimmer paused, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Mom misses you too. I can tell. She’s been acting really weird lately. Weirder than normal. But I’m looking out for her, so don’t worry. We fight sometimes. But we’ll be okay. I promise.”

A gentle breeze swept through the graveyard and Glimmer closed her eyes, taking comfort in it. Finally, touching the headstone one last time, Glimmer rose and returned to Bow, who gathered her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

“Ready to go home?”

Glimmer nodded but glanced back one more time, eyes landing on the pristine white lilies, petals rippling in the wind.

“Ready.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, sorry that the wait was so long....And that this chapter is so short despite that...: D:

“Want me to take you home?” Bow asked as they clambered back into the car. “I could stay over tonight if you need me to. I don’t have work tomorrow.”

“Actually, if you could drop me off at Mom’s, that’d be great. She wanted me over for dinner. And technically I’m already, like, two hours late.” Glimmer neglected to look at her phone as Bow began driving, knowing that she’d find at _least_ fifty voicemails and an equal number of—if not more—texts.

They drove in relative silence, Glimmer spending most of her time gazing out the window, her mind swirling with memories of her father. As they drew closer to Angella’s house, Glimmer felt her stomach beginning to fill with dread. Her mother was always the most tense, the most nagging, on the anniversary of Micah’s death. On any other day, Glimmer usually felt equipped to handle it. But this day usually got to her too. It was a recipe for an explosion. And they’d been fighting more and more often since Glimmer had gotten a job at the tattoo parlor anyway. It wasn’t at all what her mother wanted for her.

And that was partially why Glimmer had taken it.

“You sure you’ll be okay?” Bow asked as he pulled up in the enormous drive way of her mom’s practical mansion. “I could wait out here if you want.”

“I’ll be fine.” Glimmer gave Bow a tight smile and squeezed his hand. “Thank you though. See you tomorrow?”

Bow nodded, his lips turned down into a disbelieving frown, but he didn’t stop Glimmer as she stepped out of the car and headed up the steps to the enormous double doors. She didn’t turn around, afraid she’d take up Bow’s offer and run if she thought about it too much longer; instead, she pulled out her spare key and opened the doors, pushing her way inside.

The smell of something delicious and spicy hit her nose instantly, leading her towards the kitchen. But not before she remembered to take off her boots and stick them in the shoe cubby by the door—the one that had far too many shoe spaces for the number of shoes actually in it.

She heard Angella’s voice waft into the foyer before she could see her. “Glimmer? Is that you?”

“Yeah, mom.”

_Who else would it be?_

Glimmer padded her way through the living room and into the enormous dining room, where she saw Angella sitting at an already set table.

“You’re late,” she pointed out and gestured for Glimmer to sit at the chair across from her.

Already not super thrilled with the start of their interaction, Glimmer huffed and plopped into the chair at the opposite end of the table as her mother, suddenly feeling very sick as she looked down at the lukewarm food on her plate.

Glimmer only took a single bite of sweet potatoes before the oppressive silence made her squirm. Looking up, she realized that Angella was still staring at her, awaiting an explanation.

“Sorry,” she sighed, not sorry at all. “I went to see dad.”

Angella’s glower faltered and she picked up her own fork, finally breaking eye contact. “Oh.”

Silence fell over them again and Glimmer picked at her food, pushing a few heads of broccoli around in circles. For a moment, just to have something to say, Glimmer considered mentioning Adora. Meeting a girl…Meeting a vet...Maybe it would be enough to avoid her mother’s judgment and scrutiny.

“I—,”

“An interesting outfit you’ve chosen today,” Angella interrupted, her eyes roaming critically over Glimmer.

“Mom,” Glimmer dropped her fork and dug her palms into her eyes, already done with this conversation. “These are my work clothes, I’ve told you a million times.”

“Right. You’re still insisting on that ‘job’ then?”

“Can we not do this tonight?”

“Do what?” Angella seemed genuinely confused by the question.

“This!” Glimmer gestured back and forth between them. “The thing where you berate me for every decision I’ve made in the past year and I get butchered for trying to defend myself.”

“I don’t berate you,” Angella scoffed, her nose wrinkling. “I want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself properly. And I don’t see how a job at that…place is helping you to achieve your goals.”

“What goals?” Glimmer crossed her arms over her chest. “The ones you made for me?”

Angella’s brows lowered over her eyes. “You’re not even attempting to put your degree to any use, Glimmer.”

Right. The Business Administration degree she’d practically been forced into upon graduating high school. It was her job to take over the family business, it always had been.

“I don’t get what you hate about it so much?” Glimmer decided to dodge that particular jab. “The people are nice. They pay is good. I get to do what I love for a living. Why is that a bad thing?”

“Glimmer—,”

“No, seriously,” Glimmer stood up from her chair, it squeaked as it scraped across the floor. “I’m doing something I _enjoy_.”

“It’s not what your father wanted you to do,” Angella shot back, her glare withering.

Oh, hitting her where it hurt. Two could play at that game.

Glimmer scoffed, slamming her hands on the table. “Don’t you dare push _your_ opinions on him. _You_ want me to run the business. He actually wanted me to be _happy_.”

“You don’t think I want you to be happy? I want you to succeed, Glimmer. I want what’s best for you,” Angella’s voice rose with Glimmer’s until she too was standing.

“You don’t even _know_ me!” Glimmer shouted.

“Because you won’t let me!”

“Can’t imagine you’d be happy with what you’d find,” Glimmer shot back, grabbing her phone off the table and stuffing it into her back pocket.

“Glimmer,” Angella called after her as she stormed out of the dining room. “Where are you going? Come back here.”

“Why? So you can yell at me some more? I’m done with this conversation, _Mom_.”

Another chair screeched as Angella followed her into the living room, but Glimmer was already tugging on her boots.

“Glimmer. Sit down and we’ll discuss this calmly. For you to behave like this, on the day of your father’s—,”

“The day he died in a fucking airstrike? Yeah, mom, you don’t have to remind me. I know.”

“Glimmer!”

Glimmer turned towards the door, the anger in her chest boiling over. Before she could think to stop them, the words bubbled out of her, venomous and cruel. She wanted to hurt someone as bad as she was hurting. And the worst thing she could think to say to her mother, on the day her father had died, slipped out of her mouth. “You think maybe he was grateful the bombs dropped? So that he didn’t have to come back to you?”

Glimmer didn’t wait for a reaction. She stepped out into the night, making sure to slam the door shut behind her.

The guilt hit her instantly. It rolled over her in hot, shameful waves, and she nearly stuttered to a stop— nearly ran back to apologize. 

But she didn’t.

Instead, she ducked her head and pulled her phone out to dial Bow as the hot tears began streaming down her cheeks.

_Fuck…_

Bow picked up on the second ring.

“Everything okay?” his voice was soft, concerned, and Glimmer’s tears fell faster at the sound of it.

“I need you to come get me,” she choked out.

“I’ll be right there.”

* * *

Bow’s dads, George and Lance, had long been asleep by the time they got to their house. The windows were dark, but the front door had been left unlocked, which Glimmer assumed was a sign that they were waiting for Bow’s return.

Bow led them inside and to the basement, which was essentially his private suite. Bow had only graduated a few months ago and was still looking for a permanent career that would take him out of his dads’ house. And Bright Moon all together. Glimmer didn’t even want to _think_ about Bow leaving her, especially not now, when she was still a sniffling, trembling mess.

Keeping one arm wrapped around Glimmer’s shaking shoulders, Bow flipped on the rows and rows of fairy lights that decorated his room, bathing it in a soft glow. They threw themselves down on his bed together, Bow handing Glimmer his favorite, most plush pillow to lie on.

He waited quietly, patting her hand gently until she was ready to speak. And then she unloaded all of her frustrations with her mother, her grief for her father, everything. It all came out at once, in a mostly incoherent and babbling mess. But Bow, to his credit, listened patiently and calmly. And when she was done, he didn’t offer any advice, simply took her in his arms and squeezed.

“Tomorrow is a new day,” he murmured, and then cleared his throat when he saw the time on his bedside clock. “Okay. Scratch that. _Today_ is a new day. We’ll get some sleep and then, in the morning, we’ll go grab something that we can give your mom so you can apologize.”

“I don’t want to apologize to her!” Glimmer argued, her voice muffled in Bow’s shoulder.

“Yes, you do. You said you felt bad right after you left.”

“I do. But…She deserved it.”

“Glimmer.”

Glimmer sniffled and wiped her nose on his shirt.

“Come on. Hey! We’ll stop by the flower shop,” he nudged her with his now wet shoulder. “You can get your mom something nice _and_ talk to Adora again.”

He teased the words out, tickling Glimmer’s sides when she grumbled in response.

“Bow!” she squirmed out of his grasp and sat up, straightening her shirt. “Don’t tease me about that!”

“I’m not teasing!” Bow sat up too, eyes wide and innocent. “I’m being one hundred percent serious. What’s wrong with suggesting you get to know her a little better? She’s your neighbor. And a vet. _And_ she just came back from her tour, she’s probably really lonely. Why don’t we see if we can introduce her to the gang?”

Glimmer looked away and frowned, although Bow’s proposition did sound intriguing. “The gang will freak her out.”

“No they won’t! Sea Hawk and Mermista are great.” Bow paused and bit his lip. “Sea Hawk is great.”

Glimmer blinked at him, one brow rising.

“…_We’re_ great. She can be friends with us and we’ll just pretend we don’t even know the others.”

Glimmer’s lips trembled into a tenuous smile and Bow pulled her back down, tugging a blanket over her and patting her head gently.

“Get some rest, small one,” he cooed, shushing her when she opened her mouth to object. “You have exactly three hours to sleep before you must face your crush and coerce her into befriending you. Then the slow burn _really_ begins.”

“Bow…” Glimmer groaned, but exhaustion was already making her eyelids heavy.

“You’ll thank me later.” He flashed her a grin and then switched off the lights, the room falling into darkness.

* * *

Adora looked up from the seed stock catalogue she was perusing when she heard a thump against the glass windows of the store.

Peering through the vines and foliage, she could barely make out the figure of the pink-haired girl she’d met yesterday. She was flailing her arms around while being shoved towards the front door by a young man wearing a white crop top. Adora watched as they stopped just before reaching the door, the girl—Glimmer—turning around to jab a finger in his chest and utter something furious, if her expression was anything to judge by. The young man just shook his head, glanced inside the store and turned her around again.

There was another brief scuffle and then the door bell chimed as Glimmer stepped inside, a smile that was just a little too wide to be reassuring plastered on her face.

“Welcome to—Oh!” Perfuma had turned around excitedly, recognition dawning on her face. “You again!”

Glimmer was trying to smooth down her unruly hair, but it popped back up the moment she lowered her hands. “Hi.”

Her eyes flickered nervously from Perfuma to Adora and then she tottered towards the front desk, doing her best to lean casually against it.

“I need your help,” she began, her eyes trained on Adora’s now.

“Oh…Yes?” Adora found herself at a loss for words as she stared back, her grip tightening on the catalogue.

“I need more flowers.”

Adora blinked and then gestured to the entire store, a small smile quirking her lips. “Well, I have plenty of those. You may have to be more specific.”

Glimmer blinked, looking bewildered for a second until Adora’s smile widened and then, finally, Glimmer seemed to relax. She cracked a grin too and let her shoulders slump, leaning both forearms more comfortably against the counter.

“Yeah, but I need really specific ones.” She glanced over her shoulder at Perfuma and then leaned in conspiratorially. Adora’s heart beat a little faster as she realized she could smell the lavender perfume coming off of Glimmer’s skin. “What’s the best way to passive aggressively say ‘fuck you’ in flower?”

If Adora hadn’t been so confused she might have burst out laughing. Instead, she let out a half snort and sat back in her seat. “What?”

“You know, like…Flowers for when you want to apologize, but also kind of want the person to take a running dive off a cliff?” Glimmer shrugged and toed the edge of the counter. “Y’know…’Fuck you’ in flower.”

“Please tell me these aren’t also for your dad.”

Glimmer’s eyes widened and then she threw back her head and laughed. “God, no. My mother.”

That didn’t sound better to Adora, but she decided not to point that out.

It was then that Adora realized that, for someone who ran a flower shop, she knew very little about actual flowers.

“Perfuma might be able to help you with that,” Adora gestured to the blonde, who bounded over at the sound of her name.

“What can I help you with?” Perfuma asked with a blinding smile.

Glimmer looked only slightly disappointed to have been redirected to Perfuma, but followed her into the aisles of flowers nonetheless. Glancing back over at the window, Adora saw the young man now pressed against the glass. His eyes widened when he saw her looking and he whirled around, tugging his phone out of his pocket and pretending to be completely enthralled.

“Foxglove means insincerity, meadowsweet means uselessness,” Perfuma was saying, leading Glimmer around the shop and gathering various bouquets. “And these orange lilies mean hatred.”

“Perfect, I’ll take them all.” Glimmer cast a glance back at Adora out of the corner of her eye that made Adora’s cheeks burn.

“Or we could make you a nice arrangement,” Perfuma suggested, bringing her toward the front.

“Oh, yeah…Or that.”

Perfuma beamed, seemingly unphased by the truly awful intent of the arrangement, and hurried to the back to complete the job. “I’ll be back in a flash.”

Then Perfuma was gone.

Glimmer pursed her lips, rocking back on her heels as a tense silence fell over them.

Adora, for her part, offered a small smile and returned to flipping mindlessly through the pages of her seed catalogue, although her brain wasn’t registering a single thing.

A sudden tapping on the window startled both of them. Looking up, Adora saw the young man mouthing something, his face pressed right up against the glass, fogging it. He saw Adora looking, smiled widely and then gestured sharply at Glimmer, who threw her arms out and then whipped around to look at Adora.

Another confused silence.

“So,” Glimmer drew the word out until her voice cracked. “Um…” She paused, biting her lip for a moment, looking like she’d forgotten what she was going to say. And maybe she had, because it took her another solid few seconds to pick up her sentence again. “Uh…Do you like slam poetry?”

“I…Don’t know,” Adore replied honestly, the page of the seed catalogue ripping slightly in her grasp. “I’ve never been to a slam poetry…Meeting.”

“Oh!” Glimmer brightened. “Well, you should come tonight. With me…And Bow! We—There’s a great coffee shop that our friends run. And they do a slam poetry night every month that’s actually really fun. I didn’t have any idea what slam poetry was until Bow took me. Oh—That’s Bow.”

She pointed out the window at the young man outside, who had returned to not so subtly pretending to look at his phone.

“Anyway, it’s cool. And a good way to make friends. And we figured you probably don’t have any friends —,”

Glimmer balked and Adora blinked at her.

“I mean!” she raised her hands as if surrendering. “I…You mentioned you just got back! And I didn’t know if that meant you knew anybody in Bright Moon. But me and Bow know everyone and we can totally show you around. I don’t know if you have plans or anything. But if you don’t you can come with us. If you want. It doesn’t cost anything. If money is an issue…Not to imply that you don’t have money—,”

Perfuma returned then, and Glimmer breathed an audible sigh of relief, nearly snatching the arrangement out of her hands.

“Here you—,”

“Thank you! How much?” She turned her wide, terrified eyes to Adora, who was still trying to process everything Glimmer had said.

“Uh…”

“Do_ not_ say on the house, please. Let me give you money.” Glimmer was already pulling her wallet out of her ripped jean shorts, placing a battered visa on the counter.

Still trying to figure out what words to push out of her mouth, Adora rang up the bouquet and ran the card, all the while Glimmer chewed her lip nervously.

“So, it’s at 9,” she continued, as Adora handed the arrangement back. “We can pick you up right after work if you need a ride. You can totally come too.”

She looked at Perfuma who stood by, once again watching the conversation curiously.

“Come to what?”

“Poetry slam. At the New Grounds Café?”

“Oh, I love slam poetry! And I’ve seen the posters around town. I was already planning on going. Adora, you should absolutely come too!”

Adora glanced between the hopeful expressions of Glimmer and Perfuma, an objection already rising in her throat.

“I don’t—,”

“If you don’t like it, we’ll take you home immediately,” Glimmer offered.

“Oh, but you will like it,” Perfuma insisted, clapping her hands together. “Poetry jams are so much fun!”

Realizing that no one was going to take no for an answer, Adora inhaled deeply and nodded. “Sure, yeah. I can— I’ll come for a bit.”

The way Glimmer’s entire being lit up made her stomach flutter.

“You will? Awesome! You’ll love it. And there’s always tons of people there, we’ll introduce you to everyone. Oh, this is great! Okay,” Glimmer tucked the arrangement under her arm and headed for the door. “We’ll pick you up when the store closes!”

With a final wave, she rushed through the door and Adora watched as she gave the man—Bow—a leaping high five, nearly dropping her flowers in the process.

Perfuma sighed and returned to the watering hose. “I’m sure it will be a great time. You don’t have to read anything to enjoy it. I’ll be there for you, so at least there will be one familiar face.” She giggled. “Oh, it’ll be a perfect welcome to Bright Moon!”

_Great._

* * *

Adora let Perfuma go early again so that she could prepare for the poetry slam. She’d apparently written a few pieces and left them in her journal at home.

As Adora untied her apron and gathered her backpack, she peered nervously out the window of the shop. She could see Glimmer and Bow, talking animatedly to each other as they waited.

Why had she said yes? She didn’t know these people. She wanted to go home. To fall asleep watching a woman cleaning houses again. She didn’t even get poetry.

Sighing, Adora switched off the lights and stepped out of the shop. Glimmer and Bow looked up immediately, both waving enthusiastically.

“Adora,” Glimmer bounded over to her as she locked up the shop, dragging her friend by the elbow. “This is Bow. The one who was creeping outside your shop earlier.”

“Hi,” he said, holding out his hand and smiling. “I’m Bow.”

Adora shook his hand, impressed by his firm grip. “Adora.”

“Oh, I know.” He gave Glimmer a nudge and a wink and she shoved him back a solid foot. Adora nearly reached out to help him, but Bow just laughed and pulled his keys out of his pocket, spinning them around his pointer finger.

“Let’s get going! I’ll drive, because Glimmer can’t and Adora your car looks like it’s ready for death.”

Adora opened her mouth to defend her little Sedan but…Bow wasn’t wrong. Glimmer, on the other hand, seemed utterly offended.

“I can so drive!”

“Okay, sure. You can drive. But where would we sit?” He gestured to Glimmer’s Porsche—which startled Adora (because how did someone on a tattoo artist’s salary afford one of those?)—and the various debris spread out on her seats.

“You’re the worst!” Glimmer smacked his shoulder, but Bow just shrugged and led them to his tiny Prius.

“I speak the truth.” He put a hand on Glimmer’s shoulder when she reached for the passenger side door. “Why don’t we give our guest the front seat. Your tiny gremlin legs don’t need as much space as our regular sized friend here.”

“Boooow.” Glimmer turned to Adora and groaned. “I’m so sorry. He’s not usually like this.”

“Yes, I am. Don’t lie to her.” Bow then gestured for Adora to take the front seat, even opening the door for her. Adora couldn’t hide her amused smile as she gratefully stepped inside and pushed the seat back. Bow’s car was immaculately clean, something she could appreciate.

Glimmer scrambled into the back seat, reaching for the AUX chord that was plugged into Bow’s stereo before he’d even closed his own door.

“Glimmer.” Bow’s tone was disciplinary.

“Yes?” she replied, already flipping through her phone.

“What are we doing?”

“I’m getting us in the zone! We need some good music before we get to the jam.”

“Why don’t we let Adora pick something?”

“Oh, anything is fine,” Adora waved a hand. She never really listened to music in the car anyway. Usually just podcasts.

“She’ll like this one,” Glimmer insisted, pressing play on her phone as a heavy beat filled the car. “You like NSYNC, don’t you, Adora?”

“Actually, I was always more of a Backstreet Boys fan,” Adora deadpanned, enjoying their bewildered expressions for a solid few seconds before cracking a nervous smile. “Kidding.”

“She makes jokes!” Bow shouted over the music. He threw the car in reverse and began backing out of the parking lot. “Seat belts everyone!”

Glimmer laughed and clambered up between the seats, ignoring Bow’s orders entirely as she leaned in between their headrests. She turned to Adora just as the lyrics began, exaggeratedly mouthing, “You mighta been hurt _baaabe…_”

Adora snickered despite herself and turned to gaze out of the window as Bow rolled it down, allowing the music to blast even louder as they drove. It was a little nerve wracking to be in the car with Bow drumming along to the beat on his steering wheel rather than holding it.

Both he and Glimmer were singing along loudly, Glimmer throwing her hands in the air and practically dancing in her seat, her phone slipping onto the car floor.

Adora found herself tapping her foot as the song continued. It had been a long time since she’d heard this song, but she and Catra used to play it all the time. Catra had liked it because playing it loudly pissed of Ms. Weaver. Adora liked it because singing along to it made Catra smile. And near the end of their time together, that had been a rare sight to see…

_“Dance you loser!” Catra was bouncing on the bed like they were fourteen again. “Every little thing I dooo, never seems enough for you!” _

_Adora sat at her desk chair, spinning it in a circle. “This is as much as you’re getting.”_

_“Lame!” Catra flipped her off and flopped down on the bed, tapping her feet to the beat as she stared at the ceiling._

_Adora laughed and jumped off the chair, dive bombing the bed. Catra screeched and tucked into a ball that Adora managed to bounce a few inches into the air. _

_“Holy shit,” she laughed that high, slightly squeaky laugh she had and untucked herself. “How much do you weigh?”_

_“Wanna find out?” Adora waggled her eyebrows and Catra snorted, shoving her away._

_“That was the worst thing that’s ever come out of your mouth.”_

“Adora?”

Adora realized she’d missed an entire conversation, because when she came back to the present, both Bow and Glimmer were staring at her.

“Huh? Sorry. I was—,”

“Zoning hard?” Bow finished for her. “Are we boring you?”

He pouted his bottom lip out, but Adora quickly shook her head.

“No, sorry. Long day at work.”

“I bet,” Glimmer interjected. “I thought the tattoo shop could get boring. I can’t imagine staring at nothing but flowers all day long.”

She groaned and flopped back in her seat, throwing an arm over her eyes. “Absolute torture.”

“Don’t talk about torture around the war vet, Glimmer!” Bow teased, nudging Adora with his elbow. A risky joke, but Adora smiled at him anyway. Their enthusiasm was infectious to say the least.

“What?” Bow shouted when Glimmer muttered something unintelligible under the music.

“I said—,”

He turned the speaker up again. “_What?_”

Casting another wink at Adora, he began bobbing to the music again, as did Glimmer—who seemed to shake off her annoyance rather quickly. Adora joined them this time, allowing herself to move slightly to the music. She even began tapping her fingers against the armrest, realizing she still remembered every lyric.

Suddenly the music slowed and Bow and Glimmer leaned in, almost conspiratorially.

“There comes a day, when I’ll be the one. You’ll _seeeee_…”

“It’s gonna…”

“Gonna…”

“Gonna…”

The music built again and then paused, both Bow and Glimmer turned to look at Adora, Glimmer practically holding up an imaginary microphone.

A little embarrassed, Adora shuffled in her seat and—in time with the music—mouthed, “It’s gonna be me.”

The beat dropped and both Bow and Glimmer whooped, beginning to shimmy and bounce again. Adora laughed out loud this time, the sound almost drowned out by the climax of the music. But both Glimmer and Bow heard her, they must have, because they were absolutely beaming.

And Adora found that she was too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until next time...

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
Until the next update...


End file.
